Ballad of Dan Ross and Raleigh Croswell
by AtomicSoldier95
Summary: This story is an expansion on the world that has been set up in Scott Pilgram. Some people are taking advantage of what the world has to offer, but it is not always for the best. Elements from Lost at Sea will be incorperated into the story.
1. Chapter 1

Description of Story

This is set ten years after Brain Lee O'Malley's _Scott Pilgrim_ , and it will start in the deep south of the United States. The story will involve characters from _Lost at Sea_ , _Scott Pilgrim_ ,and _Seconds_. All copyrights belong to Brain Lee O'Malley, and the awesome world he created. I am just adding some southern flavor to the mix. I am also going to take some liberties when it comes to subspace, last names, and age. I will be coming up with last names and adjusting ages for some characters so they can functionally fit in the story.

Chapter 1

Quiet Nights

I like quiet nights like this one. The lake is calm and despite the news being crappy it is good to hear it none the less. Sarge is sleeping at my feet and since no one is messaging me I can really relax. Sarge is a good German Shepard. I am honestly just lucky to have this chance to live out here, though I do have this opportunity because of less than civil practices. I wonder how long I can remain a gang buster especially with the gangs getting tougher.

 _Splash_

Wow sounds like something big fell in the lake, and dang Sarge is already running towards the lake.

"Sarge! What is it boy?" I yelled as I saw the dog jump into the lake and swim towards the center of the lake. I reached the edge of the lake, and my eyes adjust to the darkness to see a person floating in the water. I dove right into the lake not caring about getting wet. I just want to save the person in the water, and I am able to reach the person quickly. Sarge was starting to move the person towards the shore, so I took over the towing from him. We got the person to the shore, and I now see that the person is a woman. I check her breathing, and I find that she is still breathing, so I don't need to do CPR. I notice that she is out cold, so I pick her up and carry her to the house. We all are dripping wet, and Sarge decided to spray us while he was drying off.

"Sarge, towels," I said so he could get the towels. He barked and went inside through his dog door. I set the woman on a chair and I take my seat to air off a bit. After a minute Sarge returns with two towels, and I pet the dog on his head and said

"Good boy," I dried myself off with the towel, and I wrapped the other towel around the woman. I got a good look at her, and I see that she is around my age, and she is a tall attractive blonde. She is wearing a pink t-shirt with a green skirt and a pair of black dress shoes. I reach over to my phone to call 911 for an ambulance to come pick her up when she started stirring. I see the look of sheer terror on her face and in her piercing sea-green eyes.

…

What has happened to me? I was running from him when I tripped, and now I find myself next to a strange man and with a dog staring at me. I use to cats staring at me, but having dogs staring at me is new. Though the dog is the least of my worries at this moment… like is this man going to kill me, did he kidnap me?... Why do I have a towel around me, and why am I wet?

"Okay before you scream bloody murder, my dog and I heard you fall in the lake, and we both got you out before you drowned. You are on my back porch drying off, and I have no negative intentions what so ever," said the strange man. I can tell that he is telling the truth, but where am I? I am not just emotionally lost. I am literally lost. My sea has become filled with storms.

"So my name is Dan Ross. What is your name?" asked Dan. Oh no… why did he have to ask my name. I don't do well in normal situations, and this is far from normal.

"My name is Raleigh. Raleigh Croswell," I said as I nervously held out my hand so that he could shake it.

"Nice to make your acquaintance Raleigh," he said has he shook my hand with strong firm grip. He seems like an older man in a younger man's body. He is dressed pretty plainly with his brown t-shirt, jeans, and boots. His face however is a mix of handsome and beaten up. His brown hair is still wet from him saving me from physically drowning… I doubt he can save me from the thoughts that drown my mind. Like the fact that I have no soul.

"Would you like some food Raleigh?" asked Dan.

"Yeah..." I said knowing that when I see the food it will not be appealing any more.

"Okay I think we are both dry enough now. I go check to see what I have that I can nuke in the microwave," said Dan as he got up and entered his house. I got up and slowly followed him. The dog noticed my movement, and it is now following me. I enter the house, and find the décor is simple, rustic, but strangely modern. I find a kitchen table, and I sit at one of the four chairs. Dan was looking in his fridge for food.

"Okay, I got leftover steak…" said Dan. I spoke up before he continued.

"I don't eat meat… Sorry,"

"Vegan or Vegetarian?" asked Dan without skipping a beat.

"Vegetarian," I said hoping he won't judge.

"Okay cool… If you said you were vegan, you would have been out of luck. My cooking is very southern and not vegan friendly. I have mashed potatoes, butter beans, squash, and some turnip greens. Any preference?" asked Dan looking at me.

"I don't really have a preference when it comes to veggies," I said trying to too be a burden.

"Alright then," said Dan as he brought out the containers with the sides in them. He grabbed a plate from a cabinet, and he started to load up the plate with the sides. He put the plate in the microwave, set the heat to max, and set the timer for three minutes. He sat down on the opposite side of me.

"Where are you from?" asked Dan. I normally should be so stressed I couldn't speak, but with him… I feel more at ease knowing he is being genuine.

"I am from Canada."

"Damn, you are a long way from home. You are in the United States, and more specifically the state of Georgia."

My heart stopped when he said that… I was in a region I knew nothing about… What is happening?

…

I saw her start to hyper ventilate, and I needed to act quickly.

"Raleigh listen to me, count to four, inhale, count to four, exhale," I said hoping she understood what I meant, and sure enough she waited, breathed in, waited, and exhaled.

"You okay?" I asked hoping she would open up a bit.

"No… I just... I had a bad break up, and now I am very far from home…," Raleigh said right before she started to cry. I couldn't imagine what she is going through at this moment… I need to do something for her.

"Need me to do anything for you?" I asked knowing her answer. Raleigh stopped crying and looked up at me.

"Can you get me home?" she asked.

"I can try,"

"Thank you,"

"Your…" I suddenly hear tires screech up my drive way, and I hear car doors open and close. I then heard a voice I hoped I would not hear in a while.

"We know you are in their you jackass! You fucked up our headquarters in Atlanta, so now we are here to return the favor!" yelled a pissed of male voice that I recognized to well.

"Raleigh, I need you to do exactly what I tell you: Crawl over to the walk in pantry, open the doors, crawl in, and shut the doors behind you. Try to stay calm and quiet," I said as calmly as a I could. Raleigh was in utter shock, so I figured my instructions went in one ear and out the other.

"Raleigh, I am going lead you to where you need to be," I said as I started to crawl on the floor to her. I reached her and saw that she was frozen with fear. I tapped her on her shoulder, and she stirred back to reality.

"Come on, you don't need to be out here," I said as I helped her down to the floor.

"Just lead me to where I need to be then," she said as we both started to crawl. I got her to the pantry and I opened it up for her.

"Okay head on in. I will close the doors behind you. Do not open the doors under any circumstances. I will open them when the cost is clear," I said as calmly as I could.

"Okay… what are you going to do?" she asked as she crawled in. Sarge came up holding my gauntlets and boots. I smiled a bit.

"I am going to beat the shit out of some assholes," I said as I got on my equipment.

"What do those do?" asked Raleigh confused and concerned.

"Long story short, these make me a superhero," I said getting up and now that I am ready to fight. I close the pantry door, and I look at Sarge.

"Boy stealth," I said to him quietly. He nods and slinks off around back. I go to the front door ready to dance.

"So, this just it Jake?" I asked with a jackass tone.

"Shut up! We are going to have our revenge, and you are going to die you self-righteous asshole!" screamed Jake. He is with three other people, and they don't seem to be too powerful. Jake screams sonic waves when he charges up, but the only way for him to charge is to listen to really loud music. The girl in the group looks like she can hide in shadows… for about a minute. She has the advantage now, but that is not going to last. The two other dudes seem to be twins and their focus is rhythm, and that mean I just need to throw them off, and they will actually fight themselves. They seem to be D-grade villains, so this won't be a long fight. I might be able to make some money off them though. Their wearing gang clothes, but also are wearing color to match their powers.

"Alright so before we start does anyone want to guess what my powers are?" I asked jokingly.

"It doesn't matter. Everyone att…" said Jake before I uppercut him in his jaw with my fist. The impact launched him into the air about fifty-feet. He fell back down but before he hit the ground I jabbed forward sending him into a vehicle. The impact destroyed the car and Jake. Jake turned too light and a money counter appeared saying he was worth about a thousand bucks. The group looked at me.

"So, what are you folks going to do?" I asked.

"We are just going to go and rethink our line of work," said the woman.

"Good idea… was that your ride?" I asked.

"Yeah… we are just going to call an Uber… sorry for the disturbance," said the woman as she and the twins leave. My thousand dollars then turned into about 10,000 dollars.

"Sarge, coast is clear you can stop hiding," I yelled.

…

What is going on… I am in a strange guy's pantry… I think I just heard an explosion, and now I hear footsteps… There coming to the door…

"Hey Raleigh, it's Dan, and I took care of the assholes outside," said Dan as he knocked on the door. He is okay, and he is now opening the door.

"So it seems I owe you an explanation," said Dan. His tone is a mix of calming and apologetic.

"What do you need to say?" I asked confused at his tone.

"I am what most people would call a vigilante," said Dan hanging his head low.

"What do you do exactly?" I asked fearing the answer.

"I beat the shit out of criminals, and I earn money off it," said Dan.

"How do you earn money off it, if you are not a police officer?" I asked now really fearing what he might answer.

"It is one of my… powers so to speak," He said slowly.

"What are your powers?" I asked. I was still afraid of him, but now I have a fascination with him. He is like wild animal which has not decided to attack its prey.

"My main power is momentum maintenance, if I am moving nothing can stop my movement. And yes as long as I am moving, I am bullet proof," said Dan.

"How do you keep yourself from… hurting people you don't intend too?" I asked as I backed away from him as far as I could which was further into his pantry.

"I only have my power active when I have acceleration that exceeds ten miles per hour, and I am not in a car which has a closed system in the cab," said Dan.

"Okay… but you do need to be careful still correct?" I asked.

"Yes I do… Now my other power is more of a life style bonus. I call it Pay Day, and before a fight starts I can evaluate my opponents. I get a base figure on how much my opponent is worth and depending on what I do during a fight I get more money. The tougher the fight the more money I get," said Dan. What can you say when you meet a man with that kind of power, but it is not unheard of… There are rumors of a guy with powers in Toronto, but that was years ago.

"So… is all your money from your job?" I asked. I am starting to figure out who he is, but I am still unsure on whether he is a good man or not. I climb out of his pantry, so I could stand.

"Yes, it is, but before you pass judgement on me you must know. I only fight really heinous criminals like serial killers, human traffickers, and other really nasty people," said Dan as starts taking off his gauntlets and boots. They seem to be very heavy, and they hit the floor with a loud bang.

"What do your boots and gauntlets do?" I asked now very intrigued by how they worked.

"Well the gauntlets are made of the one material that can actually stop my forward momentum. The guy who made these has not decide on a name on it yet, but I like to call it Inertium. They prevent me from punching and kicking through people, and they also increase my speed by storing up the force from my momentum. When I want a boost, I just make my gauntlets or boots make a quick burst of air to carry me forward. I have actually gotten to one hundred miles per hour," said Dan. With that information, I start to get a feeling of dread. I need to ask a question that I might not want to know the answer too.

"Have you… killed people?"

"No, I have not. This is where the last part of my power comes in. At the end of any fight I am involved in my opponent is sent to the nearest police station. That is where the vigilante issue comes up, if I go and beat up a criminal who the police was not looking for I end up putting the police in a difficult spot for they need evidence to arrest a person," Dan said seriously and honestly.

"Thank you for telling me, and thank you for all that you are doing for me… a total stranger who feel out of the sky," I said now feeling guilty for wasting his time… why would a guy like him care about someone like me.

"It is my job. Not as a hero, but as a decent human being," said Dan in a reassuring tone.

"I'm sorry. I am not really good with social interactions…" I said just trying to get a sense of normalcy in this abnormal situation.

"It is fine… Hey you still hungry?" he asked me.

"I am not really hungry right now… I really just want to get some sleep," I said even though me sleeping has always been a hurdle for me.

"Sure I will go set up the room for you. We can talk more in the morning," said Dan as he walked away from me. After several minutes he came back.

"Your room is ready," said Dan as he showed me where I would be staying. The room matches the theming of the house, but I really just wanted to know if there was a bed. I need to crash… I needed to wake from this nightmare… or dream would be a better wording for this.

"Thank you," I said as I walked in and shut the door. I did not even worry about getting out of my clothes when I collapsed on the bed, and fell asleep immediately.

I had the same dream that I have had for as long as I could remember. The uneasy feeling, the cats, and the large NO were present, and at this point I am use to this dream that reminds me of my hollowness. However, this dream changed when a dog appeared next to me. It growled, but it was not at me. It was growling at the cats causing them to back up. This dog was protecting me. Have I found a quiet night?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Taking the Step

This is the first time in my life that I hated waking up, but I guess being able to have a good night sleep is a blessing. I still find myself far from home and in a strange house. I should be more worried right now, but I am just to tired. I so tired that I don't even want to part my hair away from my face. I am still in my clothes from last night… What has happened to me? I peeked through my door to fine Dan in a plain blue shirt with his jeans, boots, hats, and gauntlets. He is cooking breakfast which smells really good right now.

…

I hope she is doing okay. She seemed shaken from last night, and she seems to not be the type to handle stress very well. To give her some credit she was able to pull herself together pretty quickly. I still need to get her back to her family because my life is not exactly stress-free. Well think of the devil and she shall appear.

"Morning Raleigh," I said greeting my unexpected house guess.

"Morning…" she said very solemnly.

"Did you sleep well?" I asked concerned.

"I did… surprisingly," she said with a small smile across her face.

"That is good to hear. I am making breakfast," I said with a more upbeat tone.

"What are you making?"

"Pancakes. How many would you like?"

"Three… wait four. I am pretty hungry."

"Alright four of my specialty pancakes coming up," I said as I placed them on a plate for her. I walked over to her and placed the plate down in front of her. I walked back over to a cabinet to grab a glass for her. After I got the glass, I grabbed the milk I used for the pancakes and brought them over to her.

"Thank you, but I think you are forgetting something," said Raleigh with a shy tone.

"Oh right the butter and syrup," I said then realized she meant silverware… I paused for a moment, but I quickly gathered all the require elements for a wonderful breakfast.

"Okay dig in.," I said after I gathered everything. I had turned to make my pancakes, so I did not notice that she was not eating. When I finish my pancakes, I turned around and saw that Raleigh had not touched her pancakes.

"I thought you were hungry?" I asked a bit puzzled.

"I needed to wait for you join at the table… you are the host," she said plainly.

"Fair enough," I said as I gathered all that I needed to eat my pancakes. I made cinnamon vanilla pancakes which I hoped she liked.

"These are amazing…" she said. While we ate, we had a more serious conversation about her situation.

"So... I am going to need some information, if I am going to be able to get you back to Canada," I said.

"Okay… I understand," said Raleigh. I could tell she does not really like talking about herself.

"So do you have any family in the states?" I asked.

"I do. My dad he lives in California… Can I borrow a phone?" she suddenly asked.

"So you can call your dad? That is a good idea," I said as I handed her my phone. The look of confusion on her face sent up some alarms for me.

"This is your phone… how rich are you?" she asked.

"I am well off… what year do you think it is?" I asked just off a hunch.

"2008… why do you ask?" she said without skipping a beat.

"The year is 2018…" I said slowly, but I know she is not going to believe me.

"What!?..." she nearly yells in disbelief.

"Raleigh… um do you need…" I tried to say before she interrupted.

"I need to call my dad," She said as she handed the phone back to me. I figured that meant she wanted me to work the phone. I unlocked my phone and got to where I could type a number in. I handed the phone back to her.

"Use your finger on the screen to type in the number you want," I said. She took a minute to figure out the phone. She figured it out and waited for someone to answer.

…

Oh my god… I have been gone for ten years… Please dad be on the other end.

"Hello?" said my father's voice when he answered.

"Dad it is me, Raleigh," I said with a tinge of happiness.

"Raleigh… My baby girl… your alive," said my father as he held back tears.

"Yes dad I am alive…, and I am on my way home," I said trying to comfort him.

"Where are you?" he asked.

"I am in the state of Georgia," I said as I looked at Dan. He kept silent as he motioned his hand in a thumbs up and thumbs down gesture. I responded with a thumbs up.

"How did you end up on the other side of the country?" asked my dad.

"I don't know… the last thing I remember was running from Stillman," I said.

"Wait… my good Stillman is innocent… oh no," my dad said with realization.

"What is wrong?" I asked.

"Stillman was convicted of murder… your murder, and he has been in jail," said my dad. My world has truly fallen apart… I have drowned at sea… everything I have done has fallen apart.

"Sweetie do you have a means of getting back?" asked my dad. I could not answer… I just wanted to quit. I dropped the phone on the table. I saw Dan pick up his phone, and he talked with my dad.

…

"Sorry Mr. Croswell, I am Dan Ross, and I found your daughter recently," I said looking at the now catatonic Raleigh.

"Young man, thank you for finding my daughter, but what is her condition?" asked her Dad.

"I am not going to lie. She just went catatonic…," I said very concerned.

"God... I don't even know how to help… She literally has been gone ten years… What does she look like?" asked her Dad.

"She looks like a young twenty something year old woman sir," I said complying to the request.

"She should be thirty years old… I need you to be honest with me. How did you find her?" he asked sternly. I breathed in.

"She literally fell from the sky onto my property. I know it sounds crazy, but that is what happened," I said fearing he will think I am crazy.

"Okay… can you send me a picture of her… I just need to see if it is her," said her father.

"Yes sir," I said as I opened the camera function on the phone. I took her picture and sent it through the text function.

"… You are right… My daughter is still in her twenties… What in the world is going on?" he asked not really expecting an answer.

"I don't know, but I think Raleigh needs to get back to California," I said trying not to go down a rabbit hole.

"You are right… can you keep her at your property while I make the preparations to come and get her?" he asked.

"I can," I said assuredly.

"Good, and thank you again young man…," said her dad as he hangs up the phone. I look over to Raleigh, and I just sit next to her.

"Hey your dad is going to come get you…," I said. I got no response.

"Raleigh?" I still got nothing. I breathed in a bit as I decided to give her space.

"What do you do when your whole world has fallen apart?" asked Raleigh. This startled me because I was not expecting her to speak.

"Your world has not completely fallen apart… You have your dad and potentially mom,"

"But my friends… I don't know if they even remember me…," she said sounding defeated.

"That will be something that we need to find out then," I said trying to be positive.

"What is the point?" she asked.

"The point is that you are alive, and you now have a chance to build your world back up. Yes, what you went through is weird and devastating, but it is time to act," I said trying to encourage her.

"…I have already made overcome my problems once, and that was when they were normal… now I am dealing with an event that has no fucking reason to it. I am just done with everything. I wish you had just let me drown," she said. I was utterly shocked by what she said.

"No… please don't do what I think you are going to do," I said knowing she might be pondering suicide.

"No, I am not going to kill myself… I just don't know what to do," she said as she started to cry. I sat next to her and said to her.

"We will figure it out. One step at a time," I said. I gave her some space for the rest of the morning as I checked my bank account. I wanted to confirm I could do something nice for her. I saw that I could do my plan so I rejoined her.

"So… I have been thinking, you only have one pair of clothes here, and you are wearing them," I said.

"What are you getting at…?" she asked.

"I am going to let you buy clothes for you to change into while you are staying with me. I will get you a toothbrush and toothpaste in the meantime," I said with a caring tone.

"Thank you… I would really appreciate that," she said.

"Okay so I am on Amazon and in the clothes department, so just look for what you like and account for your size," I said as I handed her my phone.

"Wait… the online book store?" asked Raleigh in confusion.

"Okay long story short, Amazon has become an online Wal-Mart, so I am going to go out and get you a toothbrush and toothpaste," I said as I got up to head out. I noticed that Raleigh just looked at the screen confused.

"Um… can you stick around for a while…?" asked Raleigh sheepishly.

"Yeah, I can," I said while I sat back down beside her. After half an hour of explaining how the site works and shopping. I paid for her clothes and put them on the two-day delivery. I left to go get the toothbrush and toothpaste. As I drove to the local Wal-Mart, I saw posters for a rock band around town. I think they are called Shatter Band?... Okay weird name. I pulled into the parking lot and saw a car with their front hood up. I pulled up next to them and rolled down my window.

"Hey you need help?" I asked. I saw an African-American family who were not happy campers.

"Yeah, we just need a quick charge. Do you have jumper cables?" asked the father of the family.

"I do. Hang on a sec," I said as I got out of my truck and got my jumper cables. I popped my front hood and attached my jumper cables to my battery. The dad attached the jumper cables to his battery. I got back in my truck and cranked it. After a few minutes the dad cranked his car which turned over. I turned off my truck and detached the jumper cables from the batteries. The dad came out and shut the hood, but he did not say thank you and just got back in the car. They drove off, but I was fine with it. I am just glad that I did a good deed. I closed my truck up and put away the cables. I made my way to the store, but right before I walk into the store an older gentleman walked up to me.

"I saw what you did there, and I feel your deed needs to be rewarded," said an older man dressed in older style clothes and with a cigarette in his mouth.

"Oh um thank you sir, but that is not necessary," I said trying to be polite.

"Oh come now, I insist," said the man as he handed me a plain business card with just a number on it.

"Just give me a call when you are interested in a job… someone of your particular skills will be quite useful," said the man. This would have sent chill off my spine, but this man had a strangely calming tone. I blinked, and when I opened my eyes I see that the man is gone. The card was real, so I just put it in my pocket. I walked into the Wal-Mart and got a tooth brush which had a stat on it. It was a +1 to confidence for eight hours. Strange I have never noticed these stats before… This is a very strange week. I decided to pick up a pack of protein bars while I was there and found that along with the normal nutrition info there were stats on my favorite brand, Choco Power. The stats where +5 to strength, +10 to quickness, -1 to intellect. Okay… never mind, so I put the bars back. I grabbed the tooth paste with a +1 to confidence like the tooth brush. I finally returned home to find Raleigh in a new outfit that fit her style.

"Wow… Amazon has never been this fast... Oh I got you a tooth brush," I said.

"Hey Dan… what is up with these stats on the food labels?" asked Raleigh.

"Okay… well this is entirely new to me too. I noticed these stats today right after I met the old man…," I said as I reached in my pocket to get the number he gave me.

"Raleigh, I need my phone back," I said. She nodded and handed it back to me, and I typed the number in. I got a connection, and it rang a few time before I got an answer.

"Congrats young buck, you are now a main character," said the familiar voice of the old man from Wal-Mart.

"What… who are you?" I asked with my broken brain.

"Let's just say I am a powerful friend," said the man.

"Okay… I don't fully trust you but for some reason I think you are not going to stab me in the back," I said.

"Glad to hear, but I do need to clarify. You and Ms. Croswell are now main characters," said the old man a bit too loudly, but I realized my phone was on speaker now and Raleigh heard him.

"What?" asked Raleigh.

"Okay… you are really pushing my trust here. How do you know about Raleigh?" I asked pretty angry.

"She and I met long ago, but she may not remember me. I am an old family friend, and I was very concerned about her disappearance," said the old man.

"Okay… I can believe that. What is your name?" I asked.

"Jessup," said the old man.

"Wait that name does sound very familiar…, but I can't quite put my finger on it," said Raleigh.

"Okay… so now that we have established that you are a friend… what does it mean to be a main character?" I asked.

"It is a very long explanation that would require a face to face discussion. I will be at the Shatter Band concert. Meet me there if you want to know more," said Jessup.


End file.
